Tehran, Jan 31, IRNA � Saudi and UAE claim that Iran is an unsafe country to hold football matches is like a fallacy, contrary to the AFC and FIFA regulations, Iran's Football Federation president Ali Kaffashian said Sunday.

The Saudi and UAE demand for holding any football games with Iran in an impartial country is unreasonable, Kaffashian told IRNA.

Kaffashian made the remarks while talking about his recent travel to Doha, Qatar, to attend the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) meeting there which was held last week.

If such demand is approved by the AFC, it would be turned into a heresy in the area of sports while political disagreements between countries would harm sports games, noted Kaffashian.

Sports and the world of football do not deserve such fallacy, he stressed.

Kaffashian also favored continued chairmanship of the AFC current president Sheikh Salman al-Khalifa who, according to him, is well familiar with all Asian countries.

the Saudi move, executing Shia Muslim cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, known for his sermons criticizing the Saudi kingdom, triggered mass protests in Iran and other countries. A group of youth illegally gathered in front of the Saudi embassy in Tehran and damaged the embassy building. In the aftermath of the incident, Riyadh has formed a so-called anti-Iran coalition, trying to take untactful measures against Iran.

Based on Kaffashian's remarks in Doha meeting, the AFC officials decided to postpone football matches between Iran and Saudi Arabia to March 15.

By such delay, AFC hoped the existing problem between Tehran and Riyadh would be solved, Kaffashian said.

By IRNA